Bob jerked his head toward the stenographer.
"I want to talk to you in private," said he.
The stenographer glanced toward her employer. The latter nodded,
whereupon she gathered a few stray leaves of paper and departed. Bob
looked after her until the door had closed behind her. Then, quite
deliberately, he made a tour of the office, trying doors, peering behind
curtains and portieres. He ended at the desk, to find Baker's eye fixed
on him with sardonic humour. "Melodramatic, useless--and ridiculous," he
said briefly.
"If I have any evidence to give, it will be in court, not in a private
office," replied Bob composedly.
"What do you want?" demanded Baker.
"I have come this far solely and simply to get a piece of information at
first hand. I was told you had threatened to become a blackmailer, and
I wanted to find out if it is true?"
"In a world of contrary definitions, it is necessary to come down to
facts. What do you mean by blackmailer?"
"It has been told me that you intend to aid criminal proceedings against
Mr. Welton in regard to the right-of-way trouble and the 'sugaring' of
Plant.
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